Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pig skin is cool in nature and has a sweet taste. It enters the small intestine and lung meridians, and has the effects of nourishing yin and clearing heat, relieving sore throat and restlessness, promoting blood circulation and nourishing the skin, promoting lactation, relieving abscesses, and detoxifying. It is suitable for treating symptoms such as sore throat, chest fullness, restlessness, irregular menstruation, vomiting blood, diarrhea, and anemia. "Shang Han Lun" states that "pig skin soup is used to treat Shao Yin disease, diarrhea, sore throat, chest fullness, and restlessness." "Changsha Pharmacology" states that pig skin can relieve throat swelling and pain, clear the heart and lungs, and eliminate restlessness and heat. "Shang Han Lun" also points out that pig skin can "harmonize blood vessels, moisturize the skin" and has the effects of nourishing yin, generating body fluids, and relieving thirst. "Changsha Pharmacology" describes that pig skin has a sweet and cool nature. Eating it can clear empty heat, make lung qi descend, and relieve sore throat and mental restlessness. Regular consumption of pig skin can also moisturize the skin, reduce wrinkles, and maintain youthfulness. This is because regular consumption of pig skin can improve the function of tissues and cells with impaired water storage, timely replenish essence and blood, moisturize and plump the skin, and reduce wrinkles. Pig skin is a contemporary "beauty food".
In the past, Westerners only ate the meat of pigs and did not eat pig skin or organs. Later, after former US President Bush mentioned to reporters that his favorite food was fried pig skin dipped in spicy soy sauce during his visit to China, the media hyped it up, Chinese restaurants promoted it vigorously, and food companies advertised it extensively. Curious Americans bought pig skin to taste it and found it to be delicious. Pig skin became popular in the international market. For a time, pig skin became a scarce commodity in the international market.
Chinese people have always regarded pig skin as a delicious delicacy. "The Book of Rites" mentions "roasted dolphin", which refers to the whole pig being cooked. Today's roasted suckling pig is also cooked with skin and meat. The famous Dongpo pork cannot be called Dongpo pork without pig skin. The Qing dynasty's "Tiao Ding Ji" also includes dishes such as "crispy skin and meat" and "roasted pork skin". The Huaiyang cuisine uses fried pork skin the most. In the Yangzhou area, pig skin is called "waist" and is also called fake fish belly. After being fried, it is almost indistinguishable from real fish belly. Gushi County in Henan Province also has a special product called "skin silk", which is made from pig skin through cooking, scraping, washing, and shredding processes, and can be used to make more than 30 kinds of dishes.
